Nobody's Perfect, a series of songifcs
by Ara Goddess of the Broken
Summary: Exploring the classics through song. TLM, Beauty, Aladdin, and now Swan Princess. Ten Chapters up plus first 'extra link' Separate Titles, Summaries, and Ratings inside Mainly Romance/Angst, K /T
1. Nobody's Perfect

AN: Not entirely sure why I decided to go for something this morbid for a songfic, but once I wrote the first few words, the whole things seemed to write itself. The song is 'Nobody's Perfect' by Miley Cyrus (I think it's about the only good song by her I've ever heard, though, no offense to any Hannah Montana fans out there, I just don't find her that talented, though she outdoes herself with this song). I heard this in a youtube music video for Kingdom Hearts, and it inspired me to cook up something myself, though my talent be with a pen not a film editing program (yet). So I started writing and two hours later I devised this little work.

Title: Nobody's Perfect

Category: Cartoon -Disney

Rating: T, for drowning

Genre: Fantasy/Drama (If they had one for song, it's be that, for it doesn't really fit anything else)

Summary: 'Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days' A New Year's Eve party is the tragic death of a young lady on the seas she calls home (Little Mermaid - Post Morgana Incident) songfic to Miley Cyrus's 'Nobody's Perfect'.

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_Everybody makes mistakes... Everybody has those days..._

The waves welcomed her in, unknowing the danger hidden within her in her state. After all, she was a daughter of their kingdom, what trouble would the ocean cause her? She was here all the time, though, granted she looked a little different, but this should be no problem. Their indifference would kill the heir to their kingdom.

_Everybody makes mistakes... _

_Everybody has those days... _

_Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout... _

_Everybody gets that way..._

Night would have been dark as the full moon was shrouded in omniscient clouds, but it was pierced by the brightness and merriment of one ship out on the waters, many miles from any shore. The party celebrating the new year was over the top, and everyone was decked out in an extravagant costume, and she'd been no different. She'd decided on that of a siren, and her dress was near flawless. The dark skirt was flowing and waving in the December breeze, and her bodice was jewel-encrusted, the corset not terribly uncomfortable; the sleeves were long, flowing to her knees, wide and billowing.

Opting out of a mask, she'd spent hours with a set of stage makeup some actors had given her when she came to see their show a few months back. Her skin had been painted an angelic white, and atop it she'd done flashy blue and purple eyeshadow, and the detailed opaque scales she'd painted on appeared to be her 'mask', covering her nose, around her eyes, her temples and forehead, some given hints of indigo or amethyst. Her lips had been painted a sparkling magenta, and amazingly hadn't smeared when she'd taken a few sips of cider earlier, not having the appetite or head for wine at the moment. Her hair had been pulled back and delicately coaxed into a braided bun; her long bangs parted to the side to delicately frame her face.

She'd been leaning against the side of the ship, looking out at the ocean from the ladder. The daughter of land and sea was wishing she'd been allowed to go fathoms below for their celebrations, or better yet, gone down there and celebrated in privacy, as she was definitely not in the mood for any of this. As the fireworks jolted her from her reverie, she lost her balance and fell down to the brisk waters, eyes wide and arms flailing. She felt a slight tug near the back of her head, and then a slight loosening.

_Everybody makes mistakes... _

_Everybody has those days... _

_Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout... _

_Everybody gets that way..._

She struggled to cry out, and she did, but the fireworks and the applause had silenced her cry to them, and the waters silenced her entirely as she dropped into them sharply, the splash muted by the explosion of a crimson firework.

_Sometimes I'm in a jam_

_I've gotta make a plan_

_It might be crazy_

_I do it anyway_

_No way to know for sure_

_I'll figure out a cure_

_I'm patchin' up the holes_

_But then it overflows_

Corset tightening like the jaws of a bull shark, she winced as her lungs near burst, bubbles spurting from a small opening upon her lips to try and relieve the pressure. Her heavy dress and shoes prevented her strong legs from keeping her afloat, or even trying to slow her descent as she struggled against her own element. Her dress tangled her feet and arms, pinning her in one place as she fell past the mast of a sunken hull, nearly impaled upon the jagged wood.

_If I'm not doin' too well_

_Why be so hard on my self?_

Makeup beginning to run, she was not only lightheaded but blind as she fought to free herself, wasting her air on vain struggling.

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_I gotta work it!_

_Again and again 'til I get it right_

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_You live and you learn it!_

_And if I mess things up sometimes..._

_Nobody's perfect_

Using enough force to sever her sleeves, she exhaled sharply in triumph, to regret it as saltwater flooded her nasal cavity. She then set about wiping away the makeup so she could see the ties of the dress. She was too lightheaded to do much else though, as once she opened her eyes, she found them of little use, stuck in a cloud of color before she had a sudden impact with rotting wood.

_Sometimes I work a scheme_

_But then it flips on me_

_Doesn't turn out how I planned_

_Get stuck in quicksand_

_No problem can't be solved_

_Once I get involved_

_I try to be delicate_

_Then crash right into it_

Wood catching her dress and holding her fast, she placed a quick hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming as the pain of breaking bones registered.

_My intentions are good_

_Sometimes just misunderstood_

She opened her stinging eyes and began ripping at the sturdy fabric of her skirt to free herself, but soon saw she didn't have that kind of strength left. She then went for the buttons of her gown, and pulled them open in a single motion, but that doesn't help the corset that's choking her and has cracked at least three ribs from the impact with the wreckage.

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_I gotta work it!_

_Again and again 'til I get it right_

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_You live and you learn it!_

_And if I mess it up sometimes..._

_Nobody's perfect!_

_I gotta work it!_

_I know in time I'll find a way_

_Nobody's perfect!_

She fumbled for the laces, but the knot is too well tied to budge for her. Pulling desperately, she winces as she jars her splintered leg, light-headedness forcing her to intake, forcing more saltwater down her throat.

_Sometimes I fix things up_

_And they fall apart again_

_Nobody's perfect..._

That in turn forces her to gag, as much as she fights it, and the water floods in as the bubbles containing her lifeline float up and away before she can stop them.

_I know I mix things up_

_But I always get it right in the end_

Above she can still see the lights of the fireworks faintly above, with the outline of the floating party that's drifting away from her. Desperation taking hold, she tries again to open the laces, and she does, but not soon enough before she slows, ice coursing through her as indigo vision fades to charcoal.

_Next time you feel like... it's just one of those days..._

_when you just can't seem to win_

_If things don't turn out the way you plan,_

_FIGURE SOMETHING ELSE OUT!_

_Don't stay down! Try again! YEAH!_

The fight in her eyes fading, her mind pushes past fatigue and haze to push off her metal corset, and as the weight leaves she uses her less damaged leg to push off the wreckage, only to be pulled back by the skirt of her petticoat.

_Everybody makes mistakes..._

_Everybody has those days..._

_Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout..._

_Everybody gets that way-_

The charcoal gray now fades to oblivion, but as it does, a spark of light flies before her eyes, a prismatic spark that holds the essence of her life, cascading up and away from her despite her heart, mind and being begging for it to return. Then there is no more.

_Everybody makes mistakes..._

_Everybody has those days..._

_Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout..._

_Everybody gets that way!_

That spark flies up through the water and into the air above, piercing the sky with a flash and a soft melody echoing over the crowd, who cannot hear the melody sung, and seem to think it a new firework of sorts. Only two can hear the song and while one is confused, the other rushes towards it, fear and instinct taking over as they notice the absence of one guest. She turns to the other and as eyes lock they both know, and they dash to the side.

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_I gotta work it!_

_Again and again 'til I get it right!_

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_Ya live and ya learn it!_

_And if I mess it up sometimes..._

_Nobody's Perfect!_

_I gotta work it!_

_I know in time I'll find a way!_

_Nobody's perfect!_

_Ya live and Ya learn it!_

_'Cause everybody makes mistakes!_

_Nobody's Perfect..._

They scan the waters, praying for a sign of where to go, what happened, and they see it clearly as the full moon above, no more hidden in the clouds, casts it's light on the ladder she'd sat on not two minutes ago.

_Nobody's Perfect! _

On those narrow wooden steps is the only sign of her ever being there, sending anguish into their hearts as the guests see their distress, and the festivities slowly halt.

_No, no!_

A lock of midnight hair in an ornate oceanic...

_Nobody's Perfect..._

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AN2: That might've been a tad more morbid than need be, but if the shoe fits, wear it. If you want another (possibly for another classic), press the review button and tell me. I'll make one when I find the time. 

-Ara, Goddess of the Broken


	2. Far Longer Than Forever

AN: I've decided to make this a series of songfics. They will all be somehow related to each other. This one is the same character canon. If you don't know what a canon is, it sure as hell ain't a big weapon used in warfare! A canon… well I don't have an exact definition, go check out one of the fanfiction academy stories. Search for 'Fanfiction academy' or 'fanfiction univeristy'. I suggest either the original ('The Official Fanfiction University of Middle-Earth') or Meir Brin's 'Hogwarts Fanfiction Academy'. Both shall tell you of wondrous canon and other proper fanfiction terms (and provide a few hours of very odd entertainment, as well as a warning to mary-sues and their authors. My apologies if you fall into either category.)

All you need to know is this: they have characters from the same universe. I shall begin inserting a chain linking each story back to the first in each author's note.

I apologize if this isn't as good as the first chapter. I got this song stuck in my head and decided to pick a situation that fit it in the TLM canon. I came up with the night between day two and day three from the original film. If you have a song or situation you'd like me to put in a song-ficlet, I'm taking requests.

Title: Far Longer Than Forever

Category: Cartoon –Disney

Rating: K+, for slight, slight language

Genre: Romance/Angst

Summary: The second night of her test to win the heart of her love, the fish out of water wakes, restless, and tries to calm herself with thoughts of what lies before her. (Little Mermaid) Songfic to Swan Princess's 'Far Longer Than Forever'.

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She sat up in her bed, giving a small smile as she found herself alone. It was close to midnight, she assumed, and this was the only time she'd get any solitude. The daughter of the sea gingerly rose, gracefully gliding over to the balcony of her room and looking out. She didn't know the reason she was feeling so restless, but she was, and there was no helping it.

_If I could break the spell, I'd run to him today!_

_And somehow I know he's on his way to me…_

_Eric, you and I were meant to be…_

She had one day now, not even one day, and she had gotten so **damn** CLOSE already! He'd been half an inch from winning her forever and he didn't! Then again, she would have won him instantly if she'd kept the one thing that she now knew was the only thing he was going on right now (though in his defense, it was all he had to go on). She had everything else he was looking for, but the thing that mattered. That witch knew exactly what she was doing when she'd done this to her. She wasn't about to give up, though. She was gonna be with him, or she was going to go down trying. She loved him that much, even if he didn't love her back.

_Far Longer than Forever, I'll hold you in my heart._

_It's almost like you're here with me,_

_Although we're far apart._

Eyes out on the open water as she knelt and rested her head and arms on the railing, a silent tear filled her eye. She was this close to the man she'd fallen head over fin for, and she couldn't even tell him how much she loved him… if she didn't find a way to do that before the end of tomorrow, she'd be another trophy in that overgrown squid's garden. And if Eric was as nuts about her voice as she though he was, he'd go on looking for the owner of it for life, and never find her. She'd have already passed him by.

_Far longer than forever, _

_as constant a star…_

_I close my eyes and I am where you are._

The moonlight flitting gently down through the clouds over the ocean tore softly at her heart as it reminded her… her father had to be worried sick. Serves him right for never listening… what would happen to them if she did end up as another piece of live decor in that creepy place? They'd be heartbroken… she knew that, but… she would have risked it anyway. She would've never lived with herself had she never tried to come after him. She couldn't learn to love from a distance. At least if she came after him and couldn't get him, she wouldn't have to live with the consequences. She would've died of a broken heart.

_Sure as the dawn brings the sunrise,_

_We've an unshakable bond,_

_Destined to last for a lifetime and beyond…_

Her smile lighting up as she saw a pair of dolphins playing in the harbor, she forced herself out of the morbid thought she'd been entertaining. Once this was all over, she knew she'd finally be together with him. If she wasn't, it wouldn't be a good or long life for her. It was all or none at this point, a thought which was truly disheartening. She needed this so damn bad, so deeply she needed to deepen her bond with him. So madly did she long to sing out with the voice she'd made him fall in love with and confess her love for him. One day left to do it…

_Far longer than forever,_

_I swear that I'll be true!_

_I've made an everlasting vow to find a way to you…_

Humming soft music as she rose, the redhead rose to her feet, eyes shut in ecstasy as she dances softly in the moonlight. What she'd dreamed of all her life, and now that she's finally experiencing it, she has no time to enjoy it… well, to hell with that! Tonight there's time... Right now, she could close her eyes, dance in the moonlight, and pretend her beloved was her partner. Nightgown swishing around her, she opened her eyes with a pained smile as she realized how little this helped. It only worsened the pain, the need… She was now unmoving from her cause. She would do all in her power to win that love by then end of the day, unknowing it was already too far out of reach.

_Far longer than forever,_

_Like no love ever known!_

_And with your love I'll never be alone!_

She slipped back under the silky sheets with a content yawn. She would win him back tomorrow, or give it all up trying… tomorrow night, things would all be over, and her life would be perfect, or it would be ending. Closing her eyes and falling asleep easily, she soothed the twang of foreboding away with thoughts of her prince and the life they'd share after this was all over. She'd finally live on the shore, and maybe even visit her family below every now and again… have kids, rule at her husband's side, grow old with him, and when their times came, she would die with him.

_Far longer than forever…_

_Much stronger than forever…_

_And with your love, I'll never be alone…_

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AN2: May I remind you, my motivation to write these can also be influenced by my viewers if they're so gracious as to give me an opinion of my work. Another reminder, any and all flames shall be used to fuel my passion to write these well and get them right!

-Ara, Goddess of the Broken_  
_


	3. Because I Love Her

AN: Back with another, the next link in the chain. This one, after hearing the song and then listening to the soundtrack, it all kinda fit together in a weird way. I'm a huge fan of the score, so the last part is my little Alan Menken homage for the day.

Nobody's Perfect, Hannah Montana – TLM

Far Longer Then Forever, Swan Princess – TLM

Because I Love Her, Swan Princess – Beauty and the Beast

Title: Because I Love Her

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: T, for slight language and dark cynicism (forgive me, I go a little deeper with this story than others, I find so many themes in it that made it hard to believe the target audience was children.)

Genre: Angst/Romance

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Beast was enraged, but since when was that new? What was new was him getting so worked up over a girl and doing nothing about it! He'd just bickered with the girl and she'd had the final word. And he'd just stormed out, without so much as threatening her... because it made his heart ache too much when they fought; he couldn't keep up with her while fighting it.

_Isn't it enough that I fight the dragons,_

_That I fight the villains and win the prize?_

_Isn't it enough that I run the kingdom_

_Solve everyone's problems, direct and advise?_

_Why must I also get down on my knees and apologize?_

Why did his heart ache? He pondered this as he paced back in the privacy of the West Wing, occasionally looking out a window to find Belle down on the grounds with that footstool or her horse. The ache returned as he looked at her, but vanished once he was alone once more. WHAT WAS IT, DAMMIT?! It was driving him insane! It was... he paled as it hit him like ton of bricks. No, harder than that. This was like getting hit by a whirlwind, ripping you apart: It was love!

_Because I love her, I need her_

_Like Earth needs the sun._

_I need the one I love,_

_To keep my hope bright_

_My head right,_

_My heart fighting on_

_Until I am back in her arms!_

He knew at once what would follow this. If he loved her, step one would be get them to stop fighting. Okay, scratch that, step one was to get back on her good side, he assumed she had one hidden away somewhere in that clever little mind of hers. Consulting his supreme spies (Lumiere and Cogsworth), Beast then turned his attention to the long-abandoned library. Beast himself wasn't that fond of books, partially because he wasn't fond of reading, which was caused by his poor ability to read. Well, if she would enjoy it, he'd read every book in the place.

_Because I love her, I need her_

_Like summer needs rain_

_To grow and sustain each day_

_I hear her singing_

_And bringing her strength to my soul_

_Until I am back in her arms!_

Thankfully, she had loved the library, and that had ended their arguments seeing as she was always there, and he occasionally was, only to find her absorbed in some fairytale of old or enchanting legend. Personally, the less he heard, talked, or even thought about magic, the better, but he put on a somewhat polite grin and bore it. He had to get to know this girl, and so he would. First he had to find a way to get her nose out of that book... dinner and dancing?! Was Lumiere insane? He couldn't do that... but he had to. He could see reason when he had to, and he saw this as the only way to reach her before his time was up and he drowned himself in eternal sorrow (AN: take that for what you will).

_Miles apart, yet still my heart can hear her melody_

_I'm more that sure that I can't endure_

_Without her love for me..._

The date had gone spectacularly, and they'd danced so well, but... she was still so sad. That made his heart ache more than before he'd realized what it meant. If she missed her father so much, he should let her go to him. No, if he did that, she'd never come back, forget all the progress he'd made. Well, there was a compromise there. The mirror, which of course, had backfired on him, as pretty much all magic tended to do. She'd seen the old man and it had only made matters worse. He was amazed she wasn't demanding permission to go get him, at the very least... Did she assume he was that much a heartless- oh wait... she did. After all, why shouldn't she? He'd tried to make up for it, but in the end, nothing can cover up the cold ugly truth beneath: he was, is, and will forever be, a beast. He knew then what he was going to do: the only thing he could do at this point, he cruelly noted as he examined a single, plain rose, blackened in the frost, withering away, just as he would, and all of his servants would...

_Because I love her and need her_

_Like I need to breathe_

_Did Adam need Eve like this_

_Now I see clearly_

_I nearly gave up all I had_

_So whatever our differences were_

_I'll bid them goodbye_

_I'll give love a try_

_And all because I love her..._

The Beast let Belle go...

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AN2: I'll post more quickly if someone takes an interest. I know it's not the best stuff in the world, but bear with me, the real good stuff shall come shortly, I just have to connect them all first.

-Ara, Goddess of the Broken


	4. Someday Out Of The Blue

AN: Hi, I'm back, and I know I've been bad. I haven't posted in forever, and I can confess why. When I first started writing this particular chapter, it went in another direction entirely, and even still, this direction hints on it, but I just couldn't find a way to make it work for the song, and I knew the song was staying. I think this turned out alright, though. It is the last day of my Spring Break, alas, and I'm stuck doing homework this morning, trapped on a 'party barge' with a bunch of families and Germans all afternoon, and tonight shall be spent rapidly finishing what homework I have left. But enough about me.

Far Longer Then Forever, Swan Princess – TLM

Because I Love Her, Swan Princess – Beauty and the Beast

Someday Out Of The Blue, Road to El Dorado – Beauty and the Beast

Title: Someday out of the Blue

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K (this one's mostly angst and gush, ladies and gents)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: We see a glimpse into our enchanted couple after being forced back into the world of the mudane.

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Had they met anywhere but here, in this deserted, god-forsaken castle they never would've seen each other again, because they just wouldn't be able to stand the other. But they hadn't met anywhere else, they had met each other in this deserted, god-forsaken castle, and they were forced to see each other again, and then they began to WANT to see the other, and now it had grown into something far stronger. As they sat in a nearby field, watching the sunset and the memories return as sweet darkness returned to their beautiful abode, giving a single glimpse of what it was before, they knew this, and did nothing to deny it as they secretly longed for that time to return. After all, you get used to things a certain way; a part of you will always want them that way, even if things change for the better.

_Some day out of the blue!  
In a crowded street or a deserted square,  
I'll turn and I'll see you,  
As if our love were new.  
Some day we can start again, someday soon!  
_

She loved his strong embrace, his deep scent, his breath in her ear, but a part of her still loved what she had loved at the beginning, even if it had been a beast. She knew it was horrible to even think what she did, but it didn't stop her. It hadn't stopped him either. While he knew he'd looked hideous all those years as a beast, after you pushed past it, he'd come to think of it as a part of him. It was like all the days he'd spent with Belle between befriending her and the breaking of the curse: it stayed with him long afterward, and a part of him still longed to have them again. It had been... enchanting (no pun intended) to become so attached to someone like he never had before, not even with his parents, who'd been just as heartless as he had. Likewise, it had been quite something to be what he'd been for the last ten years, and to suddenly find that gone, that he was normal once more... As glad as he might've been to be handsome once more, he would've liked to keep the strength and ferocity of the beast; he felt useless when it came to defending Belle in this weak human form.

_Here comes the night...  
Here come the memories!  
Lost in your arms,  
Down in the foreign fields...  
Not so long ago,  
Seems like eternity,  
Those sweet afternoons  
Still capture me._

The rapidly vanishing light of the past-set sun gave way to the darkness of night before they rose to return home, a strange breeze playing about them as they walked side by side, an arm around each other lovingly, yet still sharing the same feeling of loss. They were alone, just as they'd always been, and just as they liked it. When they were in public, they couldn't avoid critique, however lessened it had been by the good that had come from the return of the prince. The place was buzzing with activity, and everyone had gained from it except the local harlots and drunks. But no, this was where they belonged, alone together. Just as it had been before… it was the only thing that remained from before, other than Belle's beauty, understanding, and impeccable knowledge. All three had proved quite useful in helping restore the province to its proper prosperity.

_Some day out of the blue!  
In a crowded street or a deserted square,  
I'll turn and I'll see you,  
As if our love were new.  
Some day we can start again, someday soon!_

Slowly strolling up the dirt road to the castle, they both kept an arm around each other, not only for the warmth, but also for the comfort. Both loved each other more than ever, and both knew this love they shared would withstand the ages, but… it was still missing what they'd felt in the beginning. They both felt this, and both took guilt in that they felt it, only slightly soothed by their lover having the same feeling. Even if they hadn't told each other before, they'd both known. They'd both known since he collapsed in the forest after fighting off the wolves… The brunette allowed another conclusion to reach her: she'd preferred to fight and freely contend with an opponent. Now that they were lovers, both sides had to tame themselves and be cautious around the other. The fire that had been allowed to flare and flicker freely was now stuck in a lantern, limited to the oil and air within for fuel. Both knew they didn't want that. Both just allowed it because they assumed the other did.

_I still believe!  
I still put faith in us!  
We had it all and watched it slip away...  
Where are we now?  
Not where we want to be!  
Those hot afternoons  
Still follow me...  
_

Approaching the castle at a leisurely pace, they were glad that the servants had for the most part retired for the evening, leaving them alone in the ballroom, which was now well-maintained for the frequent balls they held there. Taking his hand and then spinning into proper dance pose, the two moved to music that both heard only in their hearts, the music they're first danced to all that time ago, when the castle was as magical as it seemed, not the monotonous behemoth the other French palaces were… When there was something mysterious about each and every person living in the castle, from the servants, to their master, to his guest… when there was something that truly made this all special…

_Some day out of the blue!  
Maybe years from now or tomorrow night,  
I'll turn and I'll see you,  
As if we always knew.  
Some day we would live again, someday soon!  
_

Looking up in confusion as the chandelier above them blew out, the prince could only give a small smile as he felt her draw closer to him, and they stood locked in that embrace, hidden in the shadows created by the faint glint of starlight and moonlight streaming through the tall windows. Her beautiful smile was barely seen in this darkness as she looked up at him, a spark now seen her eyes that had vanished months ago. Allowing her arms to go around his neck lovingly as his encircled her waist, they drew in for a rejuvenating kiss as high on the balcony above watched a small score of servants, joined by one softly smiling sorceress as she looked over the two.

_Some day out of the blue!  
In a crowded street or a deserted square,  
I'll turn and I'll see you,  
As if our love were new.  
Some day we can start again, someday soon!_

Returning to the hallway so as to thank the head chamberlain and his accomplices, the blonde enchantress left before her presence could be discovered by the lord or lady of the house. It wasn't that they weren't on good terms, they assuredly were, after all ,she was to attend their wedding in a few weeks, but they would detain her, and she was going to require every moment from now until their marriage to concoct her wedding present. It was little wonder she hadn't realized it before, actually. Their magical relationship had been forced into the mundane society of normalcy for the last few months, stifling them both within it. Even the servants were missing the years they'd spent without hope because they had accepted life as what they'd been. Well, she'd put magic back in their lives for them, and she was going to be even more generous than that: if they came to love being enchanted, how much more would they enjoy having the best of both worlds?

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AN2: This is second songfic in this chain I've written with obvious room for postludes/extra chapters. I might have to seriously start considering them.. Until, my next post, however, I ask only that you not hassle me too much. I have other works, not to mention school and preparations for senior year and college to tend to. Life beckons, and god, does it suck. Thank god I can keep the child alive with these.

-Ara


	5. Without Question

AN: Here's my treat for being gone so long, a second songfic in the chain.

Because I Love Her, Swan Princess – Beauty and the Beast

Someday Out Of The Blue, Road to El Dorado – Beauty and the Beast

Without Question, Road to El Dorado - Aladdin

Title: Without Question

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K (fluff, fluff, and more fluff, with a grain of despair)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: Aladdin's thoughts one night on the years ahead and the years behind.

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He had learned one thing through all of this. Well, Aladdin had learned a lot of things, but it all stemmed from one lesson: the world doesn't matter. Where you are in the world doesn't matter. The people, to an extent, don't matter. Your passions and who you're passionate about, now they do. He'd been given the chance to do almost anything in the world, but he'd gone and tried to get the girl he'd gotten a more than promising glimpse of earlier. And he hadn't even meant it as skirt-chasing (though that prospect wasn't too grim either), he'd done it because he'd thought he loved her, a theory proven right now two days later when he was saving her and presumably the rest of Agrabah, if not the world. And in the time since, like Genie, he'd seen the world, and been nothing but jaded by it. The world didn't matter, and now he knew that, and still he was forced to care.

_The more I learn, the more I see  
The less the world impassions me  
The hungry heart, the roving eye  
Have come to rest, do not apply_

He was next in line as sultan; he knew he was going to allow his wife more power than he, as it was her right, not his, that allowed them this honor. The days of thrilling chases by the guards and escaping trouble were long over, and it was time to settle in for the long haul.

_The frantic chase, the crazy ride  
The thrill has gone, I step aside  
_

Sitting on the balcony he shared with his wife, he couldn't help a small smile as she dozed off on his shoulder. Rising carefully, he moved to carry her inside to their luxurious bed, lying down next to her to watch her beauty as she slept peacefully, either unaware or uncaring of the burden they faced. She'd shown him what truly mattered in life, and he'd shown her the world. She taught him what it meant to have freedom by trapping him in the cage of a royal. But he still loved her, and he knew he'd love her forever, no matter what twist in the road came next.

_I'd believe in anything were it not for you  
Showing me by just existing only this is true  
I love you, I love you without question, I love you  
_

He used to look up at the palace and wish he was there. Now, he looked down from the palace and thought of what a fool he'd been. Al knew those days had been the best, probably the best days of his entire life. He'd been free, truly free. Now he only had the illusion of it. But a gilded cage doesn't matter too much if what you want is inside it. Genie always came around to stir up trouble or just give them a good time, and Carpet was always begging to take him off for a ride. When he'd gotten Genie, he'd followed a natural course: become a prince, the luxurious majestic figure he'd never been. He'd adored the opulence to an extent, but the strings that came with it tied his hands, and he'd come to hate that as much as his wife.

_The more I want the more I steal  
The more I hold the less is real  
All worldly things I follow blind  
In hope not faith was paid in kind_

He'd made the change, or rather Genie had made it for him years ago, and it had been made permanent after defeating Jafar and freeing Genie. To think, he'd freed his friend to chain up himself…. Yet as he looked at his beautiful wife, and admired her courage and cunning mind, he didn't care that the years ahead would be hard. He just praised Allah that he would be spending them with her and his friends. They were what mattered.

_The line is drawn, the change is made  
I come to you, I'm not afraid_

Abandoning his silk vest and tunic, he then changed into more suitable pants for sleeping. Laying down beside her, his smile returned as she curled into the heat of his body with a small moan. Oh, yes, nothing mattered but his passions and those he was passionate about, and even then, people came before ideas.

_I'd believe in anything were it not for you  
Showing me by just existing only this is true  
I love you, I love you without question, I love you_

1234567890-0987654321

Ah, fluff. Just what I need when I'm trapped by homework and engagements… Well, I hope you enjoyed it, at least.

-Ara


	6. Wouldn't It Be Good

AN: I'm back, baby See, I can be quicker when I want to be. Anyway, I'm avoiding my research paper's final draft, and after posting these two chapter, I can get back to it. These links are slightly weaker in my opinion, as they're both set around the same general setting and with the same general predicament. Be patient, my friend, it is coming, and as a bonus, I have my first 'extra link' (mostly because there's an error on fanfiction that won't allow me to create a new story, or it would be there with a plug for it in this author note).

Someday Out Of The Blue, Road to El Dorado – Beauty and the Beast

Without Question, Road to El Dorado – Aladdin

Wouldn't it be Good, Cascada - Aladdin

Title: Wouldn't it be Good

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K (fluff, fluff, and more fluff, with a grain of despair)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: Jasmine's dreams of a life of freedom, and someone's thoughts on those thoughts.

* * *

Thinking back, she couldn't help the grin that came to her face, as faint as she made it seem so as to not detract from the divan she was currently sitting in with her husband, the sultan of Agrabah, hero of his country, and former street rat extraordinaire. Her mind was replaying the day they met in the marketplace, how he saved her and then whisked her off to his loft, a spot he still liked to frequent when he needed to think or truly relax. As the current matter was dealt with by her husband and his trusted vizier (amazing as it sounded, it was a now human Carpet, and yes, they still called him that despite finally knowing his birth name of Renjit), she basked in the past.

_Remember the day_

_There was a sign_

_It was the time_

_To take me away to your arms_

She heard him calling her as he fought Jafar, she remembered seeing him and just praying he would wrap her arms around her and save her from all of it. The sultana's eyes were like windows as her husband looked over at her and then frowned at the glassy look in them and the torrent of emotion behind them. Pausing in a moment of doubt, he then shook her out of her still painfully clear memories. She looked at him with a jolt of surprise before that faded into relief.

_I heard your voice you called my name_

_A single touch_

_Would stop my pain_

_I feel like you in everything I do_

She remembered all the wishes she'd held so dear in her heart those years ago. For a while she'd wished she could be a lot like him: free, independent, and able to choose and control his own destiny. She'd wished they could wish themselves away from this life and its troubles so often, but they knew even Genie couldn't grant something like that. And deep down she was glad for it, it made her face reality, despite how much she hated most of it.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes?_

_Even if it was for just one day?_

_Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away?_

Excusing herself from the divan, she quickly navigated the palace she'd spent most of her life in, the palace she'd been confined to all of her childhood and was damned to spend the next thirty or forty years ruling at her husband's side. It was true, she was a great ruler, and in truth, she did try to do as much if not more than her husband in the way of politics, but at times like these, she was simply glad her father had trained them both so well, god rest his soul. Standing on her balcony and looking out at the world below, she returned to longing to be one of them, with much lesser needs to tend to and with many fewer chains to work around… a carefree life like her husband had the pleasure of sampling… she'd never fully understand how one just gives it up, but as much as she loved him, she couldn't help but be grateful for his choice.

_Wouldn't it be good to be on your side?_

_The grass is always greener over there._

_Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care?_

She spent the afternoon like this, lounging on the balcony or in the garden, reminiscing of good days that were long behind them, and praying that someday they could have them again. She knew her husband, try as he might to hide it, felt the same. She also knew she was the only one to blame for their situation, and that she couldn't keep envying his past rather than moving on with their lives. She simply couldn't do that, though. It was the one dream she refused to give up, yet refused to take major action on. It was just there, out of reach, like a cloud that could lazily entertain a small child.

_The times passing by_

_I feel like you_

_I always do_

_You're my place to hide_

_I don't know why_

Drawn from her thoughts to turn and look at her approaching husband, she put back on the façade of content. It wasn't too far from the truth; she loved Al with all her heart, and that love was a salve to even the deepest wounds, a world wonder that could halt any calamity in her eyes… all but falling into his arms, she soaked up his scent and his spirit, a beacon in the night of her dreaming.

_Still hear your voice_

_Still feel the same_

_A single kiss can stop the rain_

_So close to you in everything I do_

The sun set beautifully over the city, and the two sat in each other's embrace as it did, taking in the glory of their city and their kingdom beyond. Both knew the folly of their dreams, and the folly of their past dreams as well. Each had wished to be in each other's place, and now that one of their dreams had come true, now the other was left feeling nothing but joy and envy for their partner while said partner could only think of how lucky his love was, and appreciate that those dreams had not become reality.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes,_

_Even if it was for just one day?_

_Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away?_

He knew what she dreamed of, and in truth, he only wished he could give it to her. And only part of him wished for that, because a life on the streets was in no way deserving of her, nor she of it. She may want the freedoms to go forth and do what she wished, but a life among the locals was in no way like that. You were always struggling for food, shelter and freedom from the law, and as fun as it seemed at times, it was a mere illusion, and he wanted no part of it any more, for himself or his true love. But still, what few hours he was able to spend among the people as an ordinary person were something to be admired, which was why he chose not to confront her dream.

_Wouldn't it be good to be on your side?_

_The grass is always greener over there._

_Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care?_

A certain blue friend watched this all from the safety of the shadows, and could almost feel his magic crackling to obey her heart. Well, he knew as well as Al that it wasn't truly what she wanted, but never the less, he could offer some sort of consolation as they retired to the bedroom… A soft cascade fell over her as she slept, and in those dreams her heart leapt for joy at the dreams of freedom within, freedom to fade away into the world.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes,_

_Even if it was for just one day?_

_Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away?_

* * *

-Ara, Goddess of the Broken


	7. Everytime We Touch

AN: Now we venture into shaky ground, but ground I feel should be included. I speak of the Non-Disney Princesses, and this one is of course, the Swan Princess, Odette. Relax, she's not sticking around long (unlike out Golden Trio, aka TLM, Beauty, and Aladdin, which are returning for more chapters after these).

Without Question, Road to El Dorado – Aladdin

Wouldn't it be Good, Cascada – Aladdin

Everytime We Touch, Cascada – Swan Princess

Title: Everytime We Touch

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K (fluff, fluff, and more fluff, with a grain of despair)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: Odette's insomnia-driven musings on her husband, her life, and her love.

* * *

He'd been asleep for hours, and yet she found dreams escaping her. Or at least, she did now. She'd held onto her dreams for as long as they'd let her, basking in his touch and his warmth… sighing in total heaven as she listened to his pristine voice… then the illusion had been shattered, and the insomnia she'd gained from her time under Swan Lake's curse returned full force. That's why she'd spent the last few hours just sitting in her love's embrace, watching him sleep and envying his ability to do it so easily. She still enjoyed watching her everlasting love, suppressing giggles at trivial moves and noises he made while the lazed through pleasant dreams, her body too weak to do anything else under his spell. This was one of her few flaws, that she could so almost nothing but bend to her love's demands when the occasion arose for it. Well, there was that and then that she always felt lonely, incomplete without him.

_I still hear your voice, when you sleep next to me._

_I still feel your touch in my dreams._

_Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why_

_Without you it's hard to survive._

Savoring his touch, she remembered the feeling it had given her all those years ago when they'd first found each other as something other than a nuisance. They'd danced together and she'd likened it to flying, a feeling she now wished to feel every now and again. She may have been cursed, but a part of her had come to accept and even appreciate it, especially after the later accidents with the old bastard's apprentices. The queen of Swan lake snuggled further into her husband, her swift heartbeat almost rousing her love as he felt it attempting fall into sync with his.

_'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling._

_And every time we kiss I swear I could fly._

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last._

_Need you by my side…_

The feel of flight was comparable to the sensation of a deep kiss with her lover, the energy practically crackling around them as they made passionate love… oh, she felt a different magic at work at those times, an almost carnal one. Listening, or rather feeling, their hearts beating almost as one, she reaffirmed that she would give up anything and everything but him. Then again, she'd known that for years, since she'd first died for him out in the gardens.

_'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static._

_And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky._

_Can't you hear my heart beat so..._

_I can't let you go._

_Want you in my life…_

She fell further into his body, allowing his scent to lull her into a semi-dream state, where her memories relived themselves almost too well for her taste. She remembered wrapping her arms around him after changing back in front of him for the first time, and soaring through the moonlit skies to his castle to warn him… The agony of dying sent her into a brief spell of shaking, but she snapped out of it just as quickly as she remembered him sobbing over her, his love pulling her back to him… Odette couldn't help a small smile as good times and bad times meshed into a heavenly collage of memory and bonding coalesced before her, like a silky blanket that covered her and helped lull her into real dreams… but she couldn't. Rising from the bed once more, she stepped onto the balcony into the moonlight, and with a fading smile looked out over the serenity that was their domain.

_Your arms are my castle; your heart is my sky._

_They wipe away tears that I cry._

_The good and the bad times, we've been through them all._

_You make me rise when I fall._

She dreamed of holding him and her heart took to the sky like her body had when she'd had wings. Their lips locked in passionate kiss and her chest seemed to explode... even when she stood here, envying him and his ability to sleep like a log, she savored every moment, for she knew each one could be the last… Returning to bed after securing the balcony door, she knew this time she would not arise again until at least dawn.

_'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling._

_And every time we kiss I swear I could fly._

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last._

_Need you by my side._

Nestling up against him, the blonde queen sighed out her troubles into him, smiling as a protective arm wrapped around her, sending a slight tingle through her wildly. However wild the sensation was, it had the opposite effect, numbing her like a shock as her heart slowed with her breathing and she all but fainted into his embrace, her arms squeezing around him just as strongly.

_'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static._

_And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky._

_Can't you hear my heart beat so..._

_I can't let you go._

_Want you in my life._

As she finally faded into dreams, a pair of blue eyes opened as a small smile played upon the young king's face. He'd woken from all of his wife's attempts to fall asleep herself, but simply accepted that if he stayed where he was, she'd settle eventually, and she had, and had proceeded to now squeeze him arm until it was tingling with blood loss. Gently coaxing it back out, he planted a small kiss on her cheek before trying to accomplish what his wife finally had: sleep.

_'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling._

_And every time we kiss I swear I could fly._

_Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last._

_Need you by my side._

* * *

And there you have it. Now, back to my homework and devising ways to not screw up my birthday two days from now. Toodles!

-Ara, Goddess of the Broken


	8. EXTRA LINK 1 Far Away

AN: This should be in it's own story, but it fits in a tinge with the Songfic chain, it was already written, and fanfiction won't let me create new stories thanks to a java error. I just heard the song and knew this would fit, so I took two hours and wrote it up.

Title: Far Away

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K+ for dark undertones and near-death situations

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: set to the Nickelback song. A night turns into a thing from Ariel's nightmares when her husband heads into a storm. Post Morgana.

I own nothing. If I did, I'd have ensured the sequels, if I'd allowed them to do any, were of a much higher quality than they were.

-Ara

* * *

She found herself in a dead sprint, or would it be a dead swim? Whatever you call it, she was pretty much hauling arse through the stormy seas around her. She'd told him not to go, she's been furious at him for doing it, but when she came back from her affairs down below, she'd been told he'd done it anyway, and after ensuring that Melody was out and wouldn't hear it, allowed a quite loud exclamation to spring forth from her lips like a common sailor. The next few hours were spent sulking before she noticed the storm clouds gathering at the horizon on which she could still barely see her husband's ship. Then things had been made painstakingly clear: no matter how much she disagreed with him, this was not the time to pout. Now was the time to save her sorry excuse for a husband.

_This time, this place…  
Misused, mistakes…  
Too long, too late…  
Who was I to make you wait?  
Just one chance,  
Just one breath,  
Just in case there's just one left_.

Wincing as she found herself fighting the current for not the first time in her quite rapid journey, she bit her lip and kept on, praying that the ship would weather the storm well enough. Somehow she knew she was kidding herself by thinking that, but believed it regardless.

_Cause you know…  
You know…  
You know…  
_

The queen knew this was about so much more than her husband, and for this simple reason: without him, things would collapse. She'd be flung into his job of ruling the kingdom (which she was apt enough at, but found too constricting, too… consuming). She'd also be forced to finish raising Melody without her father while balancing all of her other duties. If this didn't shut her down by itself, she wasn't sure how long she'd last spiritually or mentally, without her husband, the rock upon which she'd built the castle of her life. She would probably follow her husband if he was lost, a thought that scared her far more than she expected.

_I love you,  
And I loved you all along,  
And I miss you.  
Been far away for far too long…  
I keep dreaming  
You'll be with me and you'll never go.  
Stop breathing  
If I don't see you anymore.  
_

Forcing her mind off this, she found her mind drifting back to the last time they'd spent time together for themselves, not for their daughter, not for appearances' sake, not for requirements. It was months ago, they'd met in the ballroom and he asked her to dance… At first she'd brushed it off, believing him to be kidding, but eventually gave in, and found it the most… enchanting thing they'd done in years. In fact, the last time she'd felt that exact ecstasy was when she had first come ashore and had danced with him in the village. The brisk current biting her back to the present, she shook off the past.

_On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance.  
Cause with you, I'd withstand,  
All of hell to hold your hand  
I'd give it all, _

_I'd give for us,  
Give anything but I won't give up!_

She had no reason to worry. She would arriving there soon enough, and the ship wasn't as frail as she thought it. She had always placed too little faith in them, though, and you couldn't really blame her. After all, she grew up exploring their sunken remains, the first one afloat she'd ever seen had been destroyed before her eyes, and the second, albeit a much smaller one, had been overturned in the middle of a romantic moment. No, this was not the time to think of that! He would be fine. She was working herself up over what was probably nothing… though it certainly felt like more.

_Cause you know…  
You know…  
You know…  
_

She knew to not focus on the bitter elements fighting her as she made in mere hours a trek most aquatic life couldn't make in days. She knew not to focus on the consequences of failing her mission, not that she was doing a good job. She also knew not to focus on what would likely happen if she were caught down here. As far as anyone knew down here, she was back home and tending to whatever trouble her teenage daughter had cooked up this time. For once, it seemed that Melody's dangerous doings had been trumped by the king's, a very disheartening fact for his lover and loyal wife. Never could they have the peace that they all dreamed of so… or at least, she dreamed of. Her daughter was still in the adventurous stage, but she hoped that her husband would be more sensible than that.

_I love you,  
And I loved you all along  
And I miss you.  
Been far away for far too long…  
I keep dreaming  
You'll be with me and you'll never go.  
Stop breathing  
If I don't see you anymore…_

Darting still through the water, she felt the knot in her stomach spreading up her throat, and firmly rooting itself there as she felt a small jolt through the torrential currents. Lightning… now she had REAL reason to worry. Lightning was what downed his ship the first time they'd met, though there was something to be argued from his boldness (or stupidity, as was highly debated) at saying that love would just hit him 'like lightning' in the face of a storm. Nevertheless, lightning and ships don't mix for the same reasons fire and ships don't mix. Ships have gunpowder, and gunpowder goes-

**BOOOM!!**

_So far away… (So far away…)  
Been far away for far too long…_

She came to a dead stop, though the current kept pushing her towards the gruesome sight. The hull had gaping holes in the sides of it, and was dropping almost like a stone, the fires extinguishing themselves as it sunk to its watery grave. A few limp bodies were amidst the wreckage, but more were scrambling to grab something, anything, that floated. Her bright eyes darkened with each passing gaze until they locked onto their target, and she darted forward with a gasp.

_  
So far away… (So far away…)  
Been far away for far too long…_

It was déjà vu, really… he was unconscious and drowning, and she was, as before, dragging him to the surface, praying she hadn't come too late. She couldn't have. She'd been here for the blast, she'd been here to save him when what she feared happened had. And now as they broke the surface, she tried to help push some of the water from his lungs, her arms around his chest feeling his heartbeat slowing.

_But you know…  
You know…  
You know…_

Whispering into his ear and trying to help both keep him afloat and alive, she felt herself biting back the tears and fears. She'd wanted him to not come, she'd pretty much done everything but begged him. Next time, she'd chain him up if she had to… if she got another chance. No! There had to be another chance, so he had to survive this. He had to survive so she could throw this in his face and keep him from ever doing something like this again. He had to survive so that he could help her raise Melody and keep his country together and prosperous. He had to survive so that she could tell him she loved him one more time, despite all the hardships and sacrifices they'd both had to make for both their relationship and their positions. He had to survive so they could forgive each other for drifting away from each other for so long…

_I wanted…  
I wanted you to stay.  
Cause I needed,  
I need to hear you say:  
That I love you, (That I love you)  
And I loved you all along.  
And I forgive you, (And I forgive you)  
For being away for far too log!_

Shifting her embrace to face him, she kissed him long and hard, praying that she would feel him struggle for air again. Tightening her shaky grip on him, she swore never to leave him so long as he did the same. Her voice shook with emotion as she begged him to hold on and stay with her.

_So keep breathing!  
Cause I'm not leaving you anymore!  
Believe it!  
Hold onto me and never let me go!_

It was so small she almost didn't feel it in her desperation: a shallow breath… and then another. Then he coughed, falling forward to expel the remaining water from his airways. His eyes shot open, and they locked with hers. Within was slight confusion, and then realization, and gratitude mixed with relief and slight submission: okay, she was right. He was just glad that she'd come and she'd saved him.

_  
Keep breathing!  
Cause I'm not leaving you anymore!  
Believe it!  
Hold onto me and never let me go!_

Pulling him back into a very passionate embrace, followed by an equally loving kiss, she let the waves of the storm crash around her still before realizing that she still had to get him out. Biting her lip in thought, she wondered how she would honestly be able to get her love back to shore… and then she saw a golden glow. Looking around curiously, the couple watched the waves still and the storm disperse, wondering by whose good grace they'd been saved… Who cared? Laughing, they shared another kiss before they began what would be a much longer trek back to shore than it had been to get them both out here.

_  
(Keep breathing)  
Hold onto me and never let me go!!  
(Keep breathing)  
Hold onto me and never let me go!!_

And fathoms below, watching from a golden sphere of light hovering before him, the king of the seas took pride in his handiwork before turning to an equally pleased grand-daughter, who laughed at her scheme's success. If the revival that brought to their love life and even to their bed was not the best anniversary present ever, they had no clue what was.


	9. Shooting Star

AN: What's up? I've updated sooner than expected, ne? Anyways, I know this isn't as perfect as some of my others, but I think it turned out pretty well for a song I only heard twice before writing this, and the heart behind it is in the right place.

Wouldn't it be Good, Cascada – Aladdin

Everytime We Touch, Cascada – Swan Princess

Shooting Star, Hercules – Swan Princess

Title: Shooting Star

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K+ (fluff, longing, slight angst, and a tinge of language at the end)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: Odette in captivity, on a starry night as she misses her lover and her necklace.

-Ara

* * *

A deep cascade of blonde hair waved back in forth in near desperation as she sadly gazed at her prison: an eerily beautiful lake, a dark but likewise exquisite castle, and the thick forest that hid it from the world… She hadn't a clue if anyone was coming, namely the man who'd all but broken her heart with four words: 'What else is there?' She'd more than forgive him that if he'd simply come kill the bastard who'd enchanted her. She prayed every night to the stars above - the only constant that had remained through this hellish ordeal. She prayed that they'd take pity and save her… she knew there was hope in that sky above waiting to take her in…

_No one seems to think too much of me here  
and they're glad to tell it to my face  
And though I am not suppose to be here  
I'm completely out of place  
Somehow there has got to be a reason  
even as I try to think it through  
There's a bold from the blue_

Her hand strayed once more to her neck, grasping for metal she knew wasn't there. Her locket had been lost at the carriage… Derek probably had it now… As a memoir of his lost love- No! She chided herself at her lack of faith, eyes glimmering with tears as they caught the light of a shooting star and watched it soar through the sky, like a diamond in the rough navy sky... Derek was a lot like that, she supposed, and she knew, she knew that he was coming for her. He'd do anything to get her back; the look in his eyes that day in the ballroom had more than confirmed that. The Swan Princess knew with every fiber of hope and light in her being that his longing and hers would see them reunited and free to be together.

_And I see a shooting star (And I see a star)  
Set apart from all the rest  
While the other stars are standing still (ooh)  
He's on a quest  
Every night this shooting star (Every night this star)  
Dancing across the twilight sky  
Cause he knows he doesn't quit fit in (ooh)  
and he's longing to know why, why (longing to know why)_

The night welcomed her as it always did; only she now appreciated it for what it did. It gave her the freedom to be herself and hide from her captor. The sun would set, and the moon rose over her to grace her with the natural form, if only so she could run off into the forest and hide from the monster she'd gotten entangled with. She spent those nights, like this one, just staring up at the sky. She'd picked out the more popular constellations easily enough, and she now spent time tracing her own shapes in the sky while she tried, and failed, to ignore her questions of freedom, love, and life… Serious subjects she saw too much of to wish to soak herself any further in, except love! Love was always welcome, and she knew that as the night lights caressed her gently, she knew that things would turn out, eventually…

_I feel so much better when it's night-time  
That's when I can sort of disappear  
When the sun is set and it's the right time  
for pretending I'm not here  
Sometimes I just start into the heavens  
Wondering if the answer is inside  
That's when I see the light_

Derek strayed back to her mind as her hand strayed back to her missing locket, and she smiled sadly, tears in her eyes as she likened him to the plentiful specks of light she saw above. There had been many romantic options available to her, and even though her father had been clear about where he wanted his daughter to marry, he couldn't stop her from taking the suitors that came to call. He'd somehow known that the princess couldn't keep her mind off him. He was different from them all, however much he mucked things up around her. Derek was better, stronger, faster, more handsome to the others, not to mention the most thick-headed of them, so he suited her perfectly. And that thick-headed boy would no doubt find her at the end of his endless search…

_Of my steadfast shooting star  
On his way to who knows where (On his way to who knows where)  
He's a one like all the stars (ooh)  
But he outshines out there (shines out there)  
And the solitary star (solitary star)  
Is an awful lot like me (ooh)  
On an endless search through time and space  
Far a place that won't seem wrong (place that won't seem wrong)_

Courage and endurance were all that was needed for her to survive this. Well, that and for time to pass quickly, which as these nights rolled by, just like the endless days, seemed impossible. But she held out, as she knew her shining knight would. Now she just needed him to follow her here, and sweep her off her feet before she proclaimed what she'd felt all along and they went off to the rest of their perfectly happy lives… they just needed to get her the hell out of this hell.

_If we both hang on for long enough  
we both somehow are strong enough  
We'll find out where we belong_

One of the brightest stars twinkled before streaking across the sky and into the dawn, and as she saw it arrive, she let the tears fall. The dawn came quickly enough, and once more Odette glided out onto the lake and watched helplessly as she reverted into her delicate fowl form. Oh, yes, that oddball she'd fallen in love with would find her, and they'd both share the kiss they'd longed to share again since that dance in his ballroom, and he'd know why she questioned him, and she'd know that he'd corrected himself… And they'd both know why this was meant to last.

_Every night this shooting star (every night this star)  
dancing across the twilight sky  
Cause he knows he doesn't quit fit in (ooh)  
and he's longing to know why (why)  
Know why (why)  
Why (why)  
Why (why)  
Know why (why)_

* * *

AN2: A bit on the weak side, I know, but I assure you, in… three more chapters, you shall have that rich bouquet you've waited for. And as I have one more AP test and then maybe three finals in the next month, I'm sure to find time to work on it, so be patient, and I so deeply appreciate these praises I've received from you readers.

-Ara


	10. Go The Distance

AN: Now this shall prove interesting. I'm gonna make Beast come off as one of two things: insane or very ironic. Anti-hero having a songfic about being a hero… You're probably going to ignore most of the lyrics. Or at least, I'd recommend it. This is a mood piece.

Everytime We Touch, Cascada – Swan Princess

Shooting Star, Hercules – Swan Princess

Go The Distance, Hercules – Beauty and the Beast

Title: Go The Distance

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: T (angst with a salting of language)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: Beast's story and mindsets throughout his cursing. Mood piece.

-Ara

* * *

His dreams were all that had remained to console him in these ten years of damnation. Ten years of being cooped up here had slowly influenced these longings, taking them further and further from his hellish domain, with his true form blissfully returned to him and no one to judge him as before… Okay, so occasionally a girl crept into these dreams, but as he knew that was merely his mind trying to appease the curse, he ignored it for the most part. But still, as he sat in the West Wing, brooding as always, he felt a voice in the back of his saying that was his destiny… then another would counter that he was doomed to an eternity of this, be it in this life or the next.

_I have often dreamed  
Of a far off place  
Where a hero's welcome  
Would be waiting for me  
Where the crowds will cheer  
When they see my face  
And a voice keeps saying  
This is where I'm meant to be_

He knew that he'd find someone, someday, to somehow melt his heart and remove this curse from him. It was just a matter of he needed to get on with it already. Not many girls came wandering around the woods; he should've been keeping a keen eye out for them. The hassle he undertook now would alleviate the pains of rushing this later, and he ignored that, too. Screw logic, he was going to do this, and he was going to do this his way.

_I'll be there someday  
I can go the distance  
I will find my way  
If I can be strong  
I know ev'ry mile  
Will be worth my while  
When I go the distance  
I'll be right where I belong_

A blessing presented itself at last, with naught but a dozen petals remaining. That old loon had wound up trespassing, and even better, his daughter had willingly traded herself to release him. He knew he was getting ahead of himself, after all, she wanted nothing to do with him after the way he'd acted at first, but he'd wait as long as he'd have to. He took comfort in that it was at least a sign that he was not doomed, and he was taking this not at the pace he wanted but at the pace she wanted and that he was not too pissed off at this. That was a sign of change, and that meant he was willing to go the distance for this. Her being everything he wasn't exactly a big helper, but this was his life he was dealing with, and by god, he wasn't going to fuck this up like he had everything else.

_Down an unknown road  
To embrace my fate  
Though the road may wander  
It will lead me to you  
And a thousand years  
Would be worth the wait  
It may take a lifetime  
But somehow I'll see it through_

As time wore on, he looked less upon the past and more on the future, brooding less and dreaming more of when they would next meet. Though his darker tendencies has a way of mucking things up from time to time, he refused to let that deter him. At times it seemed like fighting a losing battle, just as it had seemed for all those years before now, but the beastly royal now used his stubbornness for more than petty things: he had a mission to complete now.

_And I won't look back  
I can go the distance  
And I'll stay on track  
No I won't accept defeat  
It's an uphill slope  
But I won't lose hope  
Till I go the distance  
And my journey is complete_

As the petals fell, one by one, he felt his desperation growing, but his heart refused to let him rush things, or to let his darker tendencies show through any more. He could no longer stand the thought of forever being seen only as what his cursed form manifested, and that alone would keep him on track, even as the dinner came and passed to shatter him into oblivion.

_But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part  
For a hero's strength is measured by his heart_

His heart fell like a shooting star that guided her to her father, and invariably back to her life, forever out of his grasp, forever unable to know how he felt. It all seemed hopeless, from his servants' reactions (not that he really cared what they thought), to the news that his castle was under attack and it was all his fault. Even being kicked around by the pathetic, egotistic ringleader did little to rouse his old rage, the rage that had been tamed by intelligence, beauty and love. He just didn't care… until she rode up, screaming for him. Or screaming in order to save him… that wasn't right. She shouldn't need to beg for him to be spared. If anything, she should've had to beg to save him, which she probably would have had she witness his turnaround and defeat of the auspicious prick. But the coward's words were enough to rein back in the beast within, and he tossed him aside to reunite with his love, and find his reason to live in her embrace…

_Like a shooting star  
I can go the distance  
I will search the world  
I will face its harms  
I don't care how far  
I can go the distance  
Till I find my hero's welcome  
Waiting in your arms..._

Being saved from the deathly fall by her had almost been enough to make the stabbing seem worth it. To see her concerned and near hysteric was difficult, but to see her at all was comfort beyond measure, and it was better this way. He could've never confessed, and the time had surely passed by now… To die before her was a better fate than to live out the years as the monster that had scared her and her people so. In her arms, he found solace, and as his life faded away before him, he was glad to have his last sight be of her, and in saying so, he did what he hadn't imagined ever to truly be possible…

_I will search the world  
I will face its harms  
Till I find my hero's welcome  
Waiting in your arms..._

He broke the spell…

* * *

AN2: Turned out better than I hoped, and as I said last chapter, more to come, so stay tuned.

-Ara


	11. Once Upon a December

AN: It is finals week and I finished this just hours ago. I am re-learning the trials and tribulations of finals that many of you have faced, are facing, or will face soon, and I can only hope this work does something to alleviate the discomfort of the real world banging at your door.

NOTE: YES! I am aware Anastasia is a 20th Century Fox film! And Swan Princess isn't Disney, either, but they're songfics in a chain. They're all animated movies, and I get on the cases of other authors who put Anya in with the Disney princesses (not that you don't see the connection), but I'm just not going to up and move the whole story because of a few songs! So deal!

Shooting Star, Hercules – Swan Princess

Go The Distance, Hercules – Beauty and the Beast

Once Upon a December, Anastasia – Beauty and the Beast

Title: Go The Distance

Category: Cartoon – Disney

Rating: K+

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: Belle explores the castle, and things go on from there. You'll see.

-Ara

* * *

The castle had seemed almost like an old friend welcoming her home when she had first ventured into it looking for her father… The West Wing too seemed to hold something dear up to her that some veil still hid from her. That veil seemed to cover her wherever she went here, and the more she traversed the castle, the more she longed to rip the infernal cloud off of her mind. The murals, the tapestries, even the dark statues that littered the grounds all seemed to sing a long forgotten song to her as the December snows fell outside, and she more than almost anything wished to know what it was.

_Dancing bears,  
Painted wings,  
Things I almost remember,  
And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December.  
_

Their friendship had grown through the winter months, and now as they sat by the fire, she sat in his embrace, if for nothing else than the warmth. Looking out at the storm afterwards with him, she likened it to the storm she'd rode out into on Fellipe, though her better judgment kept her from voicing said memories. And still now, as she admired the oil paintings of dancers that might have invaded the ballroom many, many years ago, she felt something within her yearning to dispel the shadows and dust from the room and breathe new life and dance into it once more… as if it were a task from the heavens…

_Someone holds me safe and warm.  
Horses prance through a silver storm.  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory...  
_

Gently, the ballroom was prepared, and the castle brought itself back to life before her eyes. Each servant was immeasurably livened up by the prospect of her date with their master, as if it were the key to all their hopes and dreams… If only she'd known that was what it truly was. Still, as she took in the restored artwork and unveiled beauty of the castle, she began to feel the veil pulling away to reveal the true beauty within, and so did it reveal the true beauty of all who resided therein, from woman to beast.

_(Instrumental interlude)  
_

At last, the days passed until their plan was put in motion, and the remains of the veil were whipped away by the will on all parts to see each other for what they were truly, and in hope that their feelings may speak loud and clear to all involved, including the pesky curse which all but the fairest of them were under. The castle had undergone a transformation, and now her lord and master had as well… and so had his love.

_Someone holds me safe and warm.  
Horses prance through a silver storm.  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory..._

Dancing with him in the ballroom, the room was more beautiful than she'd ever dreamed of her whole life, and so was everything else as she laid her head against the tamed beast's heart and listened to it beating softly with hers. The lights dimmed with her defenses, and at last, their hearts rang true, though only to them, it seemed. As the dance came to an end, like all good things, they ventured outside, and the truth was spoken, or at much as could be allowed before reality crashed down around them again. She was needed by her father, and he was here, heartbroken, but changed by her, though she'd never see it that way. But he did the impossible, the unthinkable, for her…

_Far away, long ago,  
Glowing dim as an ember,  
Things my heart  
Used to know,  
Things it yearns to remember...  
_

She quickly packed her satchel with what few possessions she felt to take with her, for she'd come to the castle with nothing but the clothes on her back; her dreamy ball gown and gloves were exchanged for the same clothes she'd arrived in, and then with a heavy heart and a worried mind, she left, not looking back once. Upon the brisk December air, a song unlike the one from before rang out. Among the screeching winds of winter's chill, came the roaring lament of the beat she'd left her heart with…

_And a song  
Someone sings  
Once upon a December_

* * *

AN2: This piece… is better than the ones previous it. At least, that's my opinion, but when life sucks, my writing comes to cheer me up, and so I've spread on what I hope to be a bit of good cheer to you as well.

-Ara


End file.
